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By James Konstantin Galvez Reporter
“This is the saddest moment of
my life,” Gov. Antonio Leviste of Batangas said Wednesday as he
took the stand in a murder trial.
Leviste, who is charged of
killing his aide Rafael de las Alas, said he wishes that he had died
instead.
The former governor admitted he
shot de las Alas repeatedly on January 12, 2007, inside his office
in Makati City—but insisted it was self-defense.
“If I have not done that, I
would not be here testifying,” Leviste said. “But sometimes, I
thought it’s better for me to die. My life has suffered so much.
My family, my daughter Toni has to cancel her international
commitments in equestrian [sports]. Media has been so unkind to me.
The Department of Justice has been unkind to me. I suffered the
most,” he added, appearing emotional.
Leviste at first praised de las
Alas, saying he was impressed when they first met. But then he
painted a darker picture of his aide, who had health problems and
maintained an expensive lifestyle supporting two mistresses.
De las Alas’ “behavior change
in 2005 after the election,” Leviste said. “I began to notice
that he had problems—health, personal and financial, which he
confided to me.”
A month before shooting, Leviste
said, “He talked to me about his worries. He maintained two women
at the same time, and I told him it was an untenable position. He
told me he wanted to provide financial assistance in the amount of
P50,000 monthly to one of the women for 20 months, or until August
2008, for a total of P1 million, and he requested my help.” The
former governor agreed to help.
On January 3, he said de las Alas
wrote to him about his request. Leviste received it on January 11,
when he called for a meeting to discuss plans to streamline the
company.
But Leviste told the court that
de las Alas become agitated and objected over his proposal. “He
objected and said he was the only one who could control the
company’s employees.”
On January 12, de las Alas paced
back and forth outside Leviste’s office and spoke loudly. He was
in a “bad mood” and demanded P1 million, instead of the monthly
P50,000 Leviste had earlier agreed to, the former governor said.
Leviste told the court that
another confidant, Maa Ambrosio, was called into the room to mediate
between him and de las Alas. Ambrosio refused, saying he didn’t
know what they were arguing about, Leviste recounted. When Ambrosio
left the room, de las Alas locked the door and demanded the P1
million, Leviste said, adding that he didn’t have that much cash.
An irate de las Alas pulled out
his gun and tried to shoot Leviste, who said he never thought his
aide would try to kill him.
During his cross examination,
Chief State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco referred to an earlier
testimony of Nelia Gonzalez, who said Leviste and de las Alas
figured in a heated argument the night before the incident.
Velaso added that it was contrary
to human experience not to call for help from the police in the
presence of a combative and dangerous man, adding that Leviste’s
testimony was full of “fabricated lies.”
De las Alas’ daughter Dina said
she did not believe Leviste’s testimony either, pointing out that
if the former governor really valued his relationship with her
father, then he would have, at the very least, ordered his employees
to bring his father to the hospital for treatment immediately after
he was shot.
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